Texas is next up in what will be the new normal in the coming weeks for college football. Or even the next few months if there’s a second wave.
This week, Texas brought back 58 of its football players as part of a phased return of athletics to campus. Per protocol, all of the student-athletes were tested for coronavirus. According to a release from the school Wednesday night, two Texas football players tested positive for COVID-19. Additionally, a third tested positive for the COVID-19 antibody. Testing positive for the antibody means that individual likely had the coronavirus previously.
“One of the student-athletes identified symptoms during pre-screening and was tested before arriving on campus,” a release from UT stated. “The other two were tested during the on-campus screening process.”
The families of all involved have been notified. Additionally, the two Texas football players who tested positive after arriving on campus are in self-isolation.
The Longhorns are scheduled to commence voluntary on-campus football workouts starting Monday, June 15. At least initially, the players will work out in small groups on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, all while adhering to social distancing guidelines.
Texas is not the first football program dealing with positive COVID-19 cases. Nor will they be the last.
On back-to-back days earlier this week, it was reported that at least five Alabama football players and three from Auburn had tested positive. Monday, Iowa acknowledged that it had one positive test among the 237 administered to individuals associated with the program. Florida State acknowledged one Seminole was found to have contracted the virus, while UCF found three positives among the 60 football players tested. Oklahoma State linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga, meanwhile, announced on Twitter last week that he tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a protest in Tulsa.
Marshall University was the first FBS program to have reported positives for the virus.
At the opposite end of the spectrum? Florida confirmed Tuesday that none of its returning Gator football players had tested positive. Ditto for Wyoming, which announced overnight that none of the 166 COVID-19 test results for returning student-athletes and select staff had come back positive.